PUNE
Anjali Damania, one of the principal campaigners in the multi-crore irrigation scam in Maharashtra, bought a large tract of farmland in Karjat taluka, claiming to be a farmer.
Anjali Damania, one of the principal campaigners in the multi-crore irrigation scam in Maharashtra, bought a large tract of farmland in Karjat taluka, claiming to be a farmer, but the land has been confiscated by the local authority after verification revealed that she is not engaged in farming.
According to information available with DNA, in 2007, Damania together with her partners Switu Mehta and Vanita Ahluwalia bought about 60 acres of land in Kondivade village, from a tribal, and registered the property in her name after producing a 7/12 certificate from the nearby Kalse village to show that she is engaged in farming.
They paid a rate varying from Rs80,000 to Rs5 lakh an acre to Anil Gogate, the tribal farmer, for the land which is located on the bank of the Ulhas river.
“When they bought the land, they told us that they wanted to set up an agri business that would also employ some local people. So we were more than happy,” says Gogate. “But within a short time, they started constructing houses on the land and began selling them off. We felt bad that the land was being used for commercial purposes without any jobs for local people.”
Around this time, the state government approved a Rs435 crore project to construct a dam on the river in Kondivade. For this, it planned to acquire 410 hectares in the area, including the plot owned by Damania.
Damania resisted the government's plan to acquire land and challenged the project, raising questions on the cost involved. In a letter to the irrigation department dated 10 June 2011, Damania said that the dam alignment be changed 500-700 metres.
“...So, it will give us back our life and save the approach to the cave. Government can have survey of this place, beyond 700 meters, and there is no private land. It will only be adivasi land and we are sure they are adequately compensated,” she wrote in her letter, a copy of which is with DNA.
The tehsildar of Karjat (Raigad district), Jaysingh Girase, said that it was during verification process of the ownership of the land to be acquired from people who would be affected by the dam project, that they found out Damania and her partners had not proper certificate to prove that they were farmers.
“As a result, the earlier transactions were declared illegal under the law and we sent them a notice to prove they are farmers. However, they failed to produce any convincing documents in the stipulated time,” the tehsildar said. “Therefore, we confiscated their entire land, and put the government as the owner of the land.”
DNA has the copies of the notice the authority sent Damania and the subsequent change in the land record naming the government as owner.
The tehsildar explained that it is not sufficient to produce a 7/12 certificate to prove one's involvement in farming activity. “We also check the person's livelihood, whether s/he is dependent on the agricultural land or not, the sources of income, and the land use. Taking all these factors into account, we evaluate whether the person is a farmer. If s/he fails to fulfil the requirements, the person is disqualified under section 84(c) of the Mumbai Tenancy and Agriculture Act 1948.”
When DNA contacted Damania over the phone, she confirmed that the government had confiscated her land. “I have been fighting against the corruption in irrigation projects, therefore, the government has confiscated my land at Kondivade,” she said.
Why Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu gifted Donald Trump golden pager? It is a reference to...
Mob in Bangladesh destroys ousted PM Sheikh Hasina's family home
ISRO's EOS-06 satellite captures Phytoplankton concentration on global scale
IND vs ENG: Will Virat Kohli play in 2nd ODI vs England? Shubman Gill provides huge injury update
Who is Kiran Chaudhury? PCS officer caught in bribe case, just 4 years after posting
Jeet Adani-Diva Shah's wedding today: Know venue, gifts for guests and more
Meet woman, who works in Rs 163000 crore company, daughter of Hyderabad’s richest man
This is world's greenest railway station, 170 years old, home to over 7,000 plants, it's in....
As Sky Force nears Rs 150 crore, Nimrat Kaur treats househelp, her kids with movie screening
IND vs ENG: Shreyas Iyer creates history, becomes first player to achieve THIS massive milestone
Meet man, India's richest banker, who has bought Rs 202 crore property, his net worth is Rs...
'Heard there was....': Former India head coach provides major update on Virat Kohli's injury
A New Geopolitical Era: India and Israel's Role in the Evolving Middle East
David Warner’s touching moment with fans after Dubai Capitals reaches final of DP World ILT20
India’s Largest Book Stall Network: PrashantAdvait Foundation’s Mission to Revive Reading Culture
Mawra Hocane stuns in pastel mint green lehenga at her wedding to Ameer Gilani
Deepinder Goyal's Zomato changes its name, CEO shares journey of company, it is now called...
Rose Day 2025: Know the date, history, significance of each rose colour ahead of Valentine's day
'BJP-led NDA works for Santushtikaran, not Tushtikaran': PM Modi in Rajya Sabha
Who is Belle Gibson? Australian wellness guru created fake cancer story and later...
DP World ILT20 2025: Dubai Capitals clinch last ball thriller against Desert Vipers to reach final
Jeet Adani-Diva Shah wedding: First pic from Gautam Adani's mansion OUT as wedding festivities begin
Sunita Williams’ Spacewalk: A Record-Breaking Mission and a Stunning Selfie from Space
IND vs ENG: Ravindra Jadeja creates history in Nagpur, surpasses James Anderson to become....
Can IAS officers change cadres after marriage? Here's what rules say
Pavan Kumar Joshi innovates unemployment benefits payment security
Anil Ambani's company's share price surges over 6 per cent after it earns profit of Rs...
Why Dale Bhagwagar is Bollywood's only PR guru
Meet Anjum Khan, wife of cricket star Shivam Dube, her net worth is Rs...
IAF Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft crashes in MP's Shivpuri during training sortie
Meet IAS Tina Dabi's mother, who cleared UPSC to become IES, later resigned due to...
Good news for Infosys employees! Company to roll out annual hike letters by end of...
BIG win for India's largest govt bank, earns Rs 16891 crore profit in just...
Ajith Kumar's fans celebrate, throng theatres after Vidaamuyarchi's worldwide release: Watch
Purnam’s Spring Edit: Where heritage meets handcrafted luxury
RTPS Bihar: Apply for income, caste, and domicile certificates
'Welfare of students very close to Government's heart': EAM Jaishankar in Rajya Sabha
IND vs ENG: Why is Virat Kohli not playing 1st ODI vs England in Nagpur?
Man's love for Indian wife knows no bounds, makes dosa batter from scratch, video goes viral
Meet woman, CRPF officer, who cracked UPSC exam in first attempt, became...
Trump administration plans to pressure the IOC to come up with a uniform transgender athlete ban
PM Modi's 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' to feature Deepika Padukone, Mary Kom, Sadhguru among others
Why speed matters: Ajay Chava on overhauling CI/CD pipelines for modern development
What does "i" stands for in iPhone, iPad, and other Apple products? Check here to know
Meet Pakistani actress whose leaked private video went viral, often shares bold photos, she is..